tropical-fish[1].jpg
Jimmy Donnelly2/9/12EDC 203
Primary Site: Sheppard Software " We make learning fun" Language Arts Games
URL:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm

Game: Adjective Adventure
Level: (4-5)
Summary of the Website: This website is interactive and is catered to elementary school students of all levels. Animated punctuation games review basic concepts of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word choice. All of the games provide simple directions for the children to follow along. Each game starts off with a model of how to play the game. Thia is a helpful strategy that keeps students on task. Each game ahs colorful graphics that draw the children in. Students can explore all of the concepts of language arts including: nouns, verbs, adjectives, capitals, commas.
Summary of the Game: The game that I chose to explore is called Noun Explorer. The motif of the game is to drag the worm over the fish that displays a noun. Five fish are depicted under the sea and only one is a noun, while the rest show adjectives. The student can keep score on the side as the correct and wrong responses add up. Ultimately, the game helps students acquire knowledge, is educational, and fun.
Evaluation of the Game: The game utilizes bright colors to engage the students. However, if a student is unable to identify nouns the game may be challenging. Overall, the game encompases a variety of nouns that helps children expand their vocabulary.
Color: The bright blue colors illuminate the screen and grasp the students attention.
Repetition: When a student gets an answer correct, the fish completes a full rotation indicating the right choice.
Talking Text: The only text on the screen is the words, "wrong", and "right". Instead, students can hear sounds of the ocean that help them remain focused. The directions come up on the screen at the beginning of the game for students to fimiliarize with.
Visual Cues: Once students drag the worm to the noun a total of 15 times the game is over. The game continues to add up correct responses and flashes the final score at the completion.
Mistakes: When a student guesses an incorrect response an "X" mark shows up in the upper right hand corner on the screen.
Rating: 10
Highlighted Cues: When a student gets a correct response the "right" tally goes up in the upper right hand corner gaging their progress and if they are ready to proceed a green arrow will appear.
Navigation Routine: This game uses a green arrow that appears as children obtain correct responses. Aside from that, the game uses limited navigation.
Click back and back: N/A
Click and Drag: Yes, the game utilizes this method as the students must drag the worm over the fish that displays a noun.
Click forward: As previously stated a green arrow appears that indicates when students can move onto more challenging words.
Teacher Rating: 9

Primary Site: Funbrain Reading
URL:
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/ReadingBrain/Games/Game.html?GameName=MadLibsPrehistoric&Brain=reading&GameNumber=3&Color=FFFFFF

Game: Madlibs Junior: Prehistoric
Level: 1-2
Summary of the Website: This website presents a lot of fun games. Students can choose from math, reading, or arcade games. The website is straightfoward and easy for students to choose their preference.The home page of the site is colorful and engaging which is appealing to an elementary school student. The reading page of the website which is our primary focus, tests students comprehension ability and expands their vocabulary through interactive puzzles and stories. Overall, the website can be used as a creative tool to help children enhance their language arts skills.
Summary of the Game: The game Mad Libs Junior: Prehistoric is a spinoff of the popular madlibs series. On the screen a noun, adjective, verb, or number moves around until a student chooses one. Then the student must hitthe "ok" button to proceed to the next frame. After the student completes ten frames they can see their final creation in a story form. All of the stories are funny and creative!
Evaluation of the Game: The game is fun and unique. It alllows students to choose words that appeal to them. Throughout the game students are bound to elarn a new word or phra that they didn't know before. It is interesting to see all of the words put together in a final product at the end. Children who complete this game will be exposed to a variety of new words and feel a sense of accomplishment.
Color: All of the words that appear on the screen under the categories noun, adjective, verb, or number are each a different color. This subtle tactic allows students to differentiate from certain words.
Repetition: All of the words in the boxes move in a random order. This keeps the children engaged. It also allows them to create a funny story because they may choose a word they didn't mean to choose because of the moving options.
Talking Text: There is no talking text all of the words appear on the screen and the child must choose which word appeals to them. There is also no sound included in the game.
Visual Cues: Once the child choose the word they want a green circle appears with the word "ok" indicating them to move onto the next word.
Mistakes: There is no mistakes to be made becasue all children have ample time to click on a moving word.
Rating: N/A
Highlighted Cues: As previously stated at green circl appears "ok" that allows the child to move onto the next word.
Navigation Routine: The only form of navigation the game entails is for each student to click on a word and press the "ok" button to go to the next word.
Click back and back: N/A
Click and Drag: N/A
Click forward: N/A
Teacher Rating: 10

Primary Site: PBS Kids
URL
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/soup.html


Game: Alphabet Soup
Level: 1-2
Summary of the Website: This website is interactive and features a variety of games all kids will enjoy. Each game is uninque and focues on an area of language arts such as, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, or grammar. Students of all abilites can benefit from these games. Games are featured for all levels of students to expand their knowledge and to learn something new. The games are interesting and allow students to sharpen a lot of skills through fun situations.
Summary of the Game: This game was creative. A sentence appears at the top of the screen and each student must choose from the scrambled letters in the bowl. When a student creates a legible word the sentence is completed. Finally, an icon appears which directs the student to the next fill in the blank sentence.
Evaluation of the Game: The game is a great way to help kids with spelling. If a child spells a word wrong the letters won't conform to a word. This tells a student to re-evaluate there decision and enchances their spelling ability.
Color: The colors are simple. The letters resemble pieces of soup in a bowl and are yellow. When the student creates a sentence the image appears in black in white.
Repetition: When a student doesn't fulfill the correct letter to complete a word the letter goes back into the bowl of soup. If a word is correct an icon appears indicating the student to move onto the next sentence.
Talking Text: There is no text instead, a sentence appears at the top of the page above the bowl of soup. This sentence features a fill in the blank which students must fullfill in order to proceed through the game.
Visual Cues: Once all of the letters are in the correct order an arrow appears indicating the student to move on to the next sentence.
Mistakes: When a letter is in the incorrect order, it goes back into the bowl of soup. The student cannot proceed until all of the letters match up to form a complete word.
Rating: N/A
Highlighted Cues: An icon appears on the screen that says "more laughs" telling the student to move onto the next sentence.
Navigation Routine: The only navigation that the game has is an icon indicating the students to proceed on and the letters to choose from out of the bowl of soup to fill in the missing word.
Click back and back: N/A
Click and Drag: N/A
Click forward: N/A
Teacher Rating: 10